Students trickled into the Northridge Center wearing flowing gowns, dress suits, and statement pieces while the venue walls were covered with imagery of a magic forest and rainbow ribbons. Spinning Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go,” DJ Rosegawd kicked off the event, leading the participants to sing and dance along to begin the night.
On Thursday, April 3, CSUN’s Pride Center hosted “Queer Prom: An Enchanted Evening.” The event included karaoke, a 360 photo booth, dinner, sweets and mocktails. The night was also a celebration for Trans Day of Visibility on March 31, as each table included a picture of prominent trans figures.
“We just wanted to make a very inclusive space for students, especially because we know a lot of students did not get a prom, so we wanted to run it back for them so they could celebrate,” said Melonie King, student event assistant for the Pride Center.
King, along with Tam Tran, were student event assistants who brought queer prom to life. According to them, although Queer Prom is one of the largest events of the year, the Pride Center is responsible for putting on countless events throughout the semester to create a safe space for fellow queer students at CSUN.
“With the political climate and everything else that’s going on right now, we thought that we need to have the space to celebrate queerness and your identity and who you are,” Tran said.
CSUN’s Queer Prom, and its celebration of Trans Day of Visibility, comes at a time in which attendees acknowledge that there is a political climate increasingly defined by anti-trans and anti-queer administration.
“You might hear all these different messages… but we’re still creating space. We’re still going to go on campus and still create more space.” Martelo Okonji said.
Martelo Okonji is the manager of the Pride Center and an alumnus of CSUN. According to Okonji, although the political climate has become increasingly hostile towards queer folk, celebrating trans and queer joy is necessary more than ever to the community. Aside from Okonji’s direct involvement in fighting for the establishment of the Pride Center at CSUN, as a student, they helped organize the first Queer Prom in The Grand Salon in the early 2010s.
“Getting the opportunity to put this on at full scale—it’s surreal. It’s a beautiful thing.” Okanji said.
Okanji is not the only alumni who has contributed to the continued evolution of the Pride Center. Ashley Martinez, who started as a student administrative support assistant, now works as the center’s operational survivor. This event is deeply personal to her.
“I literally put my blood, sweat and tears into the Pride Center, because it’s my community.” Martinez said.
According to Martinez, the event was not just a celebration. It was a necessity during these times. She referenced that she was happy and amazed at the turnout. The event reached full capacity and coincided with a news cycle that she says “is filled with doom,” particularly for trans individuals.
“Not only are we celebrating being queer, but we’re also celebrating Trans Day of Visibility. So it’s really important to highlight trans voices even in a space that’s enclosed and safe.” Martinez said.
Student attendees like Adrien Goodman and Jaden Ledkins both addressed how meaningful it was to celebrate pride and trans visibility despite the political climate. Although the current administration has focused on attacking the rights of queer and trans individuals, Ledkins referenced that this is not a new thing in history.
“This isn’t the first time our political climate has been tumultuous,” Ledkins said. “Queer and trans people have always celebrated ourselves—even in quiet spaces.”
Attendees like Goodman and Ledkins said that queer and trans people deserve to continue to celebrate their identities in these communal spaces.
“The whole reason they’re doing this is they’re trying to get rid of us—and they need to know that we’re not going anywhere,” Goodman says, in reference to the Trump administration regarding trans rights. “For me, it’s a sigh of relief… it’s nice to sit down and relax for five seconds and be like, ‘ok, it’s time to just have fun now.’”
In the second half of the night, competitions for the prom court took place, with prizes awarded based on the audience’s cheers. These competitions allowed attendees to win prizes for their outfits and present themselves authentically.
“Celebration is just as important as healing,” Okanji said. “Don’t forget that we can still find joy even in the darkest moments… seeing everyone dress up, seeing everyone show up.”
